Matt Scott: Possible Starter?

Source: Melina Vastola-USA TODAY Sports

The Jaguars quarterback situation is….unsettled to say the very least. Both Blaine Gabbert and Chad Henne are in a race to become the medicore starter come game day. However, there could be a dark horse contender that could become a surprise start, albeit maybe not until later on in the season. Enter Matt Scott.

Earlier in the off season I wrote an article as to why the Jaguars should draft Matt Scott, a time when most draft analysts were putting a 3/4 round tender on the former Wildcats signal caller. Unfortunately for Scott, but fortunately for the Jaguars, he made his way on to the Jaguars roster as an undrafted free agent.

Fast forward from Draft weekend to Training Camp and Scott has found himself in a near perfect position, well for an undrafted QB at least. The competition at QB between Gabbert and Henne has been underwhelming, making the realization that Jadeveon Clowney could be a Jaguar next April a chilling possibility. However, one QB on the Jaguars roster that seems to be making a go of the competition is Matt Scott.

In two recent Bleacher Report articles from Matt Slein (2013 NFL Preseason: Who are the Most Important Players to Watch in Week 2?) and Ryan Alfieri (Which Rookie QB Impressed Us Most in Preseason Week 1 ?) both speak highly of Scott’s performance of late, especially Alfieri. Most of the time whenever I read an article from Bleacher Report regarding the Jaguars it only serves to reinforce my belief that no one in the media has the slightest clue what is going on in Duval. Yet, Slein and Alfieri have be a pleasant surprise, whose opinions mirror my own.

As previously stated I have been a fan of Scott since before the NFL Combine and was a strong advocate for him being drafted in the 3rd round by the Jaguars. It would seem now that Scott could be making a push for the starting job. In the first week of preseason here are the performances of Gabbert, Henne, and Scott:

Gabbert: 5/10 for 19, 0 TD, 1 INT
Henne: 8/11 for 87, 0 TD, 0 INT
Scott: 6/13 for 51 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT

Mind blowing stats I know. However, in a QB competition that is completely open you would think that the “veterans” would be putting up an actual fight, yet it seems like only Scott has been the pleasant surprise. Scott looked good taking his first snaps in the NFL, making some nice reads and showed some movements. Mechanics still seem to be in issue with Scott, yet they still are an issue for Gabbert as well.

This past week in practice Scott has seen his reps increase, with flashes of brilliance, including a nice TD pass on a roll out. Scott is a very rare prospect to become the starting QB, yet so are Gabbert and Henne. Scott’s UDFA label should not be a deterrence for Gus Bradley or David Caldwell, so it should not be with the fan base. We have seen the product that Gabbert and Henne brings to the field, why not go with a wild card pick in Scott.

– Kyle Messina